Medical devices are often implanted into humans and animals as a means for achieving a desired result. Examples of these implanted medical devices include: pacemakers (i.e., a device used to stimulate or regulate contractions of the heart muscle); defibrillators (i.e., a device used to counteract fibrillation of the heart muscle and restore a normal heartbeat by applying a brief electric shock); bone growth stimulation devices, pain blocking/attenuation devices, brain implant devices, and cochlear implant devices, for example. Typically, these devices are powered by an internal battery or external battery pack (i.e., a battery pack implanted within the patient but external to the medical device).
Unfortunately, these batteries/battery packs have a finite life span and, after a period of time, must be replaced. Regardless of the type of battery/battery pack used by the medical device, surgery is required and, for those devices that use internal batteries, device removal/replacement is also required.